There are places that have sold peace to the rich for decades, and yet look as if they never change at all. Positano is exactly that - a vertical village glued to a cliff above the Tyrrhenian Sea, where houses in ice-cream colours cascade toward the water like a frozen waterfall.

Positano lies in the Campania region, on the Amalfi Coast that UNESCO protects as world heritage. The road there winds down cliffs and coves, and every bend reveals a new panorama. It is a place that has kept something of the glamour of the fifties and sixties, when writers, artists and film stars chose it for their quiet retreat.

Life here flows slowly, almost deliberately slowly. The main beach, Spiaggia Grande, is the social heart of the place with its unmistakable striped loungers. Anyone wanting fewer crowds walks the coastal path to the quieter Fornillo, or takes a small boat to the hidden Laurito.

Among the narrow cobbled lanes hide boutiques with the so-called “Moda Positano” - white linen and delicate lace - as well as workshops for handmade leather sandals and hand-painted ceramics. And when the sun starts to set, a classic wooden gozzo boat takes you on a cruise with a glass of prosecco in hand.

The dining runs from one end to the other. La Sponda, at the Le Sirenuse hotel, serves Mediterranean haute cuisine by the light of hundreds of candles. On the other side, Da Adolfo is a rustic beach shack famous for grilled mozzarella on a lemon leaf and pasta with courgettes - a place where the fork is worth more than the view, and that is no small thing.

For a place to stay, the choice speaks for itself. Le Sirenuse, with its red facade and pool above the sea, is a classic for honeymoons. Il San Pietro offers total privacy on the cliff itself, with its own beach reached by a lift carved into the mountain. And Hotel Poseidon, from the upper part of the village, serves fresh sfogliatelle for breakfast on one of the loveliest terraces in town.

Is it within everyone's reach? No, and we won't pretend it is. Positano has always been for those who can afford it. But unlike many such places, it at least earns its price - here beauty isn't marketing, but geology and centuries of patience. If you're already travelling to Italy, it's worth seeing with your own eyes, if only once.